SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.01
ARRL ANTES UP FOR PHASE 3-D
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 117.01 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 26, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-117.01
On Monday April 22nd, The American Radio Relay League sent a check
to AMSAT-NA for $126,129 to AMSAT-NA. This fulfills the League's
financial commitment to the Phase 3-D satellite project. In all,
the ARRL has contributed $523,703 to the Project. This includes
$363,022 raised from members during two fund drives and $161,681
from the ARRL itself to match individual contributions received
during 1995.
"While the Phase 3-D project could not exist without funding, the
real heroes are the AMSAT volunteers in a number of countries who
are donating their time and talents to the satellite's
construction," said ARRL Executive Vice President David Sumner,
K1ZZ. "If it were not for their dedication, Phase 3-D would still
be a dream."
As it now stands, Phase 3-D is anywhere from 8 to 12 months
away. The satellite is being assembled and tested at a special
facility set up by AMSAT in Orlando, Florida. (See "Phase 3-D
Update," QST, Apr 1996, p 93).
The League is among the Phase 3-D project's six major
financial contributors. The others are the Deutscher Amateur
Radio Club (DARC), the German Ministry of Science and Technology,
AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NA.
In all, 14 countries are participating in building Phase 3-D. A
recent addition, France, recently delivered two L-band antenna
reflectors. Also arriving recently, at the Phase 3-D Integration
Laboratory in Orlando, Florida, were the completed flight-ready
solar panels from Germany, one of the X-band horns from Finland and
the two specific bearing structures (SBSs) manufactured in Utah.
The flight main battery and the X-band traveling wave tube power
amplifier (TWTA) are in Germany awaiting shipment.
Despite the sizable amount of money raised by ARRL and others,
individual contributions to the Phase 3-D effort are still welcomed
and encouraged.
ANS thanks the ARRL Letter for this bulletin item.
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.02
JOEL HARRISON, WB5IGF, TO BE ARRL REP. ON PHASE 3-D
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 117.02 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 26, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-117.02
ARRL President Rod Stafford has designated Joel Harrison, WB5IGF,
as the League's representative on the Phase 3-D Program Council.
Joel, who is the former ARRL Delta Division Director and recently
made a League Vice President, is well known to VHFers. He is
active on most of the bands above 50 MHz, including participating
considerable EME work. He has also operated on various amateur
satellites over the years.
The Phase 3-D Program Council, on which WB5IGF will serve, is
currently made up of the six organizations which have so far made
major financial contributions to the Project. It acts as the
steering group for the Project. ARRL is the most recent member,
having been voted in at the Council meeting held in Marburg Germany
February 27th. The other organizations currently comprising the
Council are, DARC, the German Ministry of Science and Technology,
AMSAT-DL, AMSAT-UK and AMSAT-NA. Once the satellite is in orbit
and operating, the Program Council is to determine operating
policies that should be followed. David Sumner K1ZZ, ARRL General
Manager represented the League at the February 27 meeting.
ANS thanks the ARRL Letter for the material used in this bulletin.
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.03
AMSAT-NA MEMBER TO ATTEND AO-13 COMMAND STATION MEETING
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 117.03 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 26, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-117.03
A meeting of the AO-13 Command Station Team will be held in Marburg
Germany during the first half of May. In addition to the three
current regular Team members, James Miller G3RUH, Peter Guelzow
DB2OS and Graham Ratcliff VK5AGR, Stacey Mills WB4QKT of
Charlottesville, Virginia, will be in attendance. Also present
will be Karl Meinzer DJ4ZC, who conceived the Phase 3 series of
amateur satellites, currently consisting of AO-10 and AO-13. The
fourth in this series is, as everyone knows, Phase 3D, which is
currently under construction.
WB4QKT has spent several years training himself in the intricacies
of amateur satellites, with a special emphasis on the specific
needs of AO-13. This included assembling suitable equipment to
receive and decode telemetry and analyze complex data. As a direct
result of this significant effort, especially with respect to large
fund of specialized knowledge he has acquired on the subject;
Stacey, was asked by Miller and Guelzow, during the AMSAT-NA Annual
Meeting and Space Symposium held in Orlando last October, to
consider becoming an AO-13 Command Station. A qualified Command
Station located in North America has long been sought, since it
would fill an otherwise blank spot on the Globe. With Phase 3-D on
the horizon, it is considered even more important that a properly
equipped and qualified command facility be in place on this
continent.
Keith Pugh W5IU, AMSAT-NA's Vice President for Operations expressed
extreme pleasure that Stacey Mills has been asked to fill this
important position, a sentiment echoed AMSAT-NA President by Bill
Tynan W3XO. Bill added, "I am sure that we are all grateful to
Stacey Mills for the effort he has put into this endeavor, and wish
him great success."
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.04
IT Video Patch from HQ
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 117.04 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 26, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-117.04
InstantTrack Patch #4 may also be obtained on diskette from AMSAT-NA
headquarters for a minimum donation for $5.00 to cover the cost of
distribution. Contact:
AMSAT-NA
850 Sligo Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
USA
voice: (301) 589-6062
fax: (301) 608-3410
This patch solves the incompatibility that InstantTrack 1.00 or 1.00b
exhibits with certain newer video adapters. If you have the problem,
you will see garbage at the bottom of the map screens where the text
is supposed to be. If you don't see that garbage, this patch won't
do you any good.
InstantTrack Patch #4 remains available for free download from
ftp://ftp.amsat.org/amsat/software/PC/InstantTrack/itpatch4.zip. It is
also downloadable from CompuServe's HamNet forum as ITPATCH4.ZIP.
Feel free to upload ITPATCH4.ZIP to any other archive of amateur radio
software.
ANS thanks Paul Williamson, KB5MU, for this update.
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.05
Upgraded WISP files
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 117.05 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 26, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-117.05
Two upgraded WISP files have been uploaded to KO-23 and to the
amsat ftp site. They are MSPE version 0.99j and PROCMAIL 0.95. The
files are named MSPE0.99j.ZIP and PMAIL095.ZIP. They are on the ftp site
now. They will be uploaded to KO-23 on the next few passes.
These files include capability for Satgate use of the new filetype 18.
They are for use with Windows 3.1. Since Roy is beta testing Windows 95
versions, he has not done any testing of these files. They have been
tested extensively by G8TZJ however. As with any upgrade, always save
your older versions until you are completely satisfied with the new ones.
These versions may contain other minor changes as well so recheck the
setup on each of them to be sure you have the options set as you want them.
ANS thanks Roy Welch, W0SL, for this news item.
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.06
Preparations for the maiden flight of Ariane-5
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 117.06 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 26, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-117.06
Preparations for the maiden flight of Ariane-5
ESA/CNES JOINT STATUS REPORT No.3
Preparations for the maiden flight of Ariane-5
Paris, 26 April 1996
The campaign preparatory to the first Ariane-5 launch (501
flight) is continuing on the ELA-3 launch site at the Guiana
Space Centre, Europe's Spaceport, in Kourou, French Guiana.
The integrated launcher stages have been set up in flight
configuration and the associated checks carried out. The few
minor anomalies that came to light will give rise to further
operations and checks in the coming days.
After fitting of its protective casings, the launcher was
transferred to the launch zone on 24 April. In the course of
the launcher countdown rehearsal on 25 April, it was filled
with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and three
synchronized sequences identical to those of a launch were
performed. All the objectives of the rehearsal were achieved.
The campaign for the Cluster satellites (501 flight passengers)
resumed on 22April, with a view to starting launcher-satellite
combined operations on 26April.
Accordingly, and in view of the operations still to be carried
out, the launch readiness review has been set for 22 and 23
May and the launch as from 25May. This timetable is
compatible with the operational launch of Arianespace
Flight86 scheduled for mid-May.
The European Space Agency has delegated the management
of its Ariane-5 program to CNES, the French space
agency.
ANS thanks Peter Guelzow for this news update.
/EX
SB SAT @ AMSAT $ANS-117.07
SATELLITE STATUS
HR AMSAT NEWS SERVICE BULLETIN 117.07 FROM AMSAT HQ
SILVER SPRING, MD, APRIL 26, 1996
TO ALL RADIO AMATEURS BT
BID: $ANS-117.07
Both LO-19 and AO-16 are on and working. AO-16 is working fine. Try
listening at 437.060 MHz for AO-16 and 437.135 MHz for Lusat at the start of
the pass because of the Doppler shift.
ANS thanks Dave Reeves, KF6PJ, for this update.
RS-10/11 Operating normally
RS-12/13 Operating normally
RS-15 Operating normally
Send your Satellite reports to bjarts@uslink.net or to wt0n@amsat.org
/EX